The Breeding Birds of Kansas Part 4

=Least Bittern=: _Ixobrychus exilis exilis_ (Gmelin).--This is a local summer resident in marshland. Characteristics of its occurrence in time are indicated in Table 10.

_Breeding schedule._--Eleven records of breeding span the period May 21 to July 20; the modal date of egg-laying seems to be in the first week of June.

_Number of eggs._--Clutch-size is about 4 eggs.

Nests are placed in dense emergent vegetation a few inches to a foot above the surface of the water.

=American Bittern=: _Botaurus lentiginosus_ (Rackett).--This is a local summer resident in marshes and heavy gra.s.sland. The species occurs temporally according to characteristics as listed in Table 10.

_Breeding schedule._--Eggs are laid in May and probably in June.

_Number of eggs._--Clutch-size is 3 or 4 eggs.

Nests are placed on the ground in heavy cover.

=White-faced Ibis=: _Plegadis chihi_ (Vieillot).--This is a local summer resident in marshland; actual records of breeding come only from Barton County (Nossaman, 1952:7; Zuvanich, 1963; M. Schwilling, personal communication, July, 1962). The species has been recorded in the State from April 17 to October 6.

_Breeding schedule._--Twenty-five breeding records are for June and early July.

_Number of eggs._--Clutch-size is about 4 eggs (3.9, 3-4; 24).

Nests are placed in emergent marsh vegetation near the surface of the water, in Barton County in extensive cattail beds harboring also Black-crowned Night Herons.

=Mallard=: _Anas platyrhynchos platyrhynchos_ Linnaeus.--This is a local summer resident around marshes. The time of greatest abundance is October to April, but most birds move north for breeding.

_Breeding schedule._--Fifteen records of breeding span the period April 1 to June 10; the modal date of egg-laying is in the first ten days of May.

_Number of eggs._--Clutch-size varies widely; first clutches are of about 12 eggs. Brood sizes vary from 3 to 12 individuals in Kansas.

Nests are placed on the ground surface, in pasture gra.s.ses, marsh gra.s.ses, cattail, sedge, and smartweed.

=Pintail=: _Anas acuta_ Linnaeus.--This is a local summer resident in marshland. The time of greatest abundance is from September to May, but most birds move north for breeding.

_Breeding schedule._--Eleven records of breeding span the period April 21 to June 10; the peak of egg-laying seems to be in the period May 1 to 10.

_Number of eggs._--Clutch-size is around 10 eggs. Brood sizes vary from 3 to 8 individuals in Kansas.

Nests are placed on the ground surface, in cover of marsh gra.s.s, cattail, or sedge.

=Blue-winged Teal=: _Anas discors discors_ Linnaeus.--This summer resident is locally common around marshes and ponds. The species arrives in spring in the period March 9 to April 5 (the median is March 23); birds are last seen sometime between October 7 and November 26 (the median is October 20).

_Breeding schedule._--Twenty-two records of breeding span the period May 1 to May 30; the peak of egg-laying is around May 15. It is doubtful that the present data indicate the full extent of the egg-season in this duck.

_Number of eggs._--Clutch-size is 8 to 12 eggs.

Nests are placed on the ground surface, in cover of gra.s.ses, cattail and sedges.

=Shoveler=: _Anas clypeata_ Linnaeus.--This is an irregular and local summer resident, around marshes. Most individuals seen in the State are pa.s.sage migrants. Breeding records are from Barton and Finney counties.

_Breeding schedule._--Seasonal limits are unknown for the Shoveler in Kansas.

_Number of eggs._--Clutch-size is about 8 eggs (Davie, 1898).

Nests are placed on the ground surface in cover of marsh vegetation.

=Wood Duck=: _Aix sponsa_ (Linnaeus).--This is an uncommon summer resident around wooded streams and ponds in eastern Kansas. Nesting records and specimens taken in the breeding season come from east of stations in Pottawatomie, Coffey, and Woodson counties. Most nesting records at present come from the Marais des Cygnes Wildlife Refuge, Linn County. The species is present in the State from March 5 to December 8.

_Breeding schedule._--Eleven records of breeding span the period March 21 to May 10; the peak of egg-laying is probably in mid-April. The present data are inadequate for showing the full span of the breeding season.

_Number of eggs._--Clutch-size is around 15 eggs, varying from 10 to 23 in the sample at hand.

Nests are placed in crevices and hollows in trees near water, 10 to 70 feet high.

=Redhead=: _Aythya americana_ (Eyton).--This duck nested at Cheyenne Bottoms, Barton County, 1962: 9 eggs found May 31 (M. Schwilling); also reported to have nested at Cheyenne Bottoms about 1928 (Tordoff, 1956:316).

=Canvasback=: _Aythya valisineria_ (Wilson).--This duck nested at Cheyenne Bottoms, Barton County, 1962: 14 eggs found June 20 (M.

Schwilling).

=Ruddy Duck=: _Oxyura jamaicensis rubida_ (Wilson).--This is a local summer resident in marshland; numbers seem generally higher in western than in eastern Kansas. The season of greatest abundance is March through November, but numbers are conspicuously reduced in midsummer.

_Breeding schedule._--Eggs are known to be laid in May and June.

_Number of eggs._--Clutch-size is about 10 eggs (Davie, 1898).

Nests are placed near the edge of water, either in or on emergent marsh vegetation; nests of other marshland birds, such as coots, are sometimes appropriated (Davie, 1898).

=Turkey Vulture=: _Cathartes aura teter_ Friedmann.--This summer resident is common throughout Kansas. Occurrence in time is indicated in Table 11.

_Breeding schedule._--Fifteen records of breeding span the period April 21 to June 10; earlier records will doubtless be found, to judge from the frequency distribution of the present sample. The peak of egg-laying is perhaps around May 1.

_Number of eggs._--Clutch-size is 2 eggs (1.8, 1-2; 12).

Nests are placed in holes and crevices in trees and cliffs, on rocky ledges, and the like.

[Ill.u.s.tration: FIG. 3.--Histograms representing breeding schedules of two herons, the Red-tailed Hawk, Bobwhite, and two sh.o.r.e birds in Kansas. See legend to Figure 1 for explanation of histograms.]